Caught in a Tide
by annieplus7
Summary: Gajeel's fishing business is going down the tubes since competition has increased, forcing him to take on new fishing grounds out in dangerous waters. However, his catch of the day may make him into a VERY rich man.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright minions, here's the thing. I have been wanting to write a Gajevy mermaid AU for a really _really_ _really_ long time. I haven't because I thought it would just be a rehash of someone else's work. And that would be boring.**

 **Well, while Lady Inspiration has been kind, I do not choose the gifts she decides to give. One of my Beta's has been feeling rather poor lately (send my girl kiss-me-khaos some love y'all), but she decided to sketch a few mermaids and post them. THANK MAVIS she posted them because now I have an entirely new AU to update for you. Dedicated to the wonderful person that she is.**

 **I will let you know as soon as I have a schedule set for regular updates. But for now, read and review! I'd love some feedback.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **=)**

* * *

"Haul 'er up!"

Wet rope slipped through tired fingers as the studded fisherman grappled and fought to latch the crane hook to the drifting buoy.

The railing of the leaky boat creaked under his weight. The sound of pained grunts and curses signified a successful latch, but a faltering of balance to stay within the vessel.

"Shit!" he muttered under steamy breath, finally gaining stable footing.

"Incoming!"

His shipmate steered them towards the last of the nets cast out in the Commons fishing ground. Hopefully, they would reel in something decently profitable before the season let out.

With the final hook in hand, he secured it around the buoy, motioning his cousin, Rogue, to activate the crane and haul up their catch.

It whirred and clanked under the weight of the water, but sped up as his cousin toggled the according switches at the helm.

Gajeel stood at the railing, waiting for the net to rise. His breath condensing into steam as the air grew colder with the oncoming winter. The water would soon bring in bergs of ice, and then he would be out of a job. His old vessel could not withstand another beating on the rocks; the repairs from last season were what broke his bank account.

But then what? He would have to rent out yet another room of his dingy apartment just to make ends meet to keep his business afloat. He couldn't even afford to pay Rogue as it was. Now, he wouldn't even be able to sleep in his own home.

He grimaced as their catch broke the surface. He gestured to his cousin to halt the crane. The net was practically empty. He estimated maybe fifty kilograms of fish. Not enough to make a profit, let alone save his hide from debt.

It couldn't be helped. He signaled Rogue to drop the load for sorting and storage. The mechanisms in the crane squeaking as it brought the haul aboard. It was lowered below deck where his cousin released the hooks, spilling the squirming bundle into a large container.

Gajeel closed the doors, fastening them shut with the metal bolt. He climbed the ladder to the helm, taking the steps two at a time.

"Bringin' her in?"

Gajeel grunted his consent. The wiry boy stepped aside for the ship's captain to take the wheel, sliding down the railing and jumping below deck to sort their catch.

Gajeel pushed the throttle lever in, engaging the propellers to speed up their return trip home. The wheel practically turned of its own accord. He flicked switches and knobs until he was happy with the engine settings, releasing a long-suffering sigh as he looked out to sea.

There were fish out there, he knew it, but on the horizon he spotted the clearly marked guild ship. One of the many competitors Gajeel had to contend with. The Common's fishing grounds was just not big enough to send everyone home with pockets full of fish. Or money.

Port came into view and he slowed them to a rocking drift, allowing their momentum to carry them to the dock. Once in their designated space on the far end, Rogue jumped ashore and tied them into place. With the ancho dropped, Gajeel activated the crane by Rogue's command. The boy would have reattached the hooks to the bin while below deck.

When the red container was lifted clear of the deck, Gajeel swiveled the controls to have it set on the boardwalk. The magnetic hooks were detached and the vessel shut down for the day. Without the engine rumbling, or the crane whirring in his ears, the water lapping against the boat was quite soothing. He grabbed the keys from the ignition and stomped down the steep ladder.

His cousin was busy securing slack ropes and fishing nets when Gajeel slipped below deck.

It was a solid fishing boat, his prized possession, actually. _Metalicana_ just needed a little TLC every now and then.

He shut the compartment to the sorting area off, locking the doors. The smell of rank fish tainted every molecule of oxygen and left a bad taste in his mouth most nights.

He entered the cluttered captain's quarters. When he first bought _Metalicana_ , he intended to sleep there, but the smell proved to be a formidable adversary, hence his land-based apartment. He shuffled maps and tools off a cushioned bench, picking up a stray bottle of liquor. He unscrewed the drink and took a shallow swig. The firewater burned it's way down his throat, a vibrant whiskey.

He took a seat amongst the mess as Rogue stepped down into the quarters.

"Done?" he asked, his usual mellow voice now lethargic and slow.

The studded man bobbed his head in a nod, "Done. And don't come in tomorrow."

The boy moved as if to leave, but lingered in the door a moment longer.

"What for?"

Gajeel gestured to a splayed map on top of the center table. It was hidden under wrenches and gear as paperweights, but his objective was clear.

"Looking for new fishing ground?" he guessed.

Gajeel swallowed another draw of whiskey, his voice hoarse from the burn, "Already found. Wanna test the waters."

Rogue stepped into the dimly lit room and took a look at the topographical map, his face contorting into a grave expression as he looked over the circled area.

"No one fishes there. Too many rocks. Tides are unpredictable. You'll wreck."

Gajeel chuckled his signature 'gihi', "No one fishes there, _yet_. There's a clear stretch of water near the cove there," without standing, he pointed to the far end of the circled region, "Weigh anchor there, then cast a few nets. It's a test run, not permanent territory."

He added the last statement to put his young cousin at ease. He knew the risks of fishing so close to the cliffs, but he was a desperate man.

The boy nodded, his brow still furrowed. He could trust his cousin's judgment.

They parted with silent good bye's. Gajeel toyed with a pocket knife, flipping the blade in and out of its protective sheath. He stared at the map on the table, willing it to tell him something. Anything.

He was a desperate man, but his gut told him he'd find something worthwhile. He flicked his wrist, sending the exposed blade to puncture the paper in his exact destination: Siren's Cove.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dear minions,**

 **As you can see, I am very excited to move forward with this AU (it hasn't even been a week since the first update!)**

 **Just a side note, I will not be scheduling updates for this AU. Some readers have informed me that the chapters are a bit too short. Well, to make them longer, I will need more time, and more time leaves me open to Life happening and other obstacles getting in the way. It will also mean my Beta will need a little extra time to read through the content. and then I have to correct those mistakes. AND THEN I have to like what I wrote.**

 **Its a very long process.**

 **So a brief overview! There will be longer chapters, but not as often as you would like.**

 **I would not mind receiving messages concerning a projected chapter update or a 'hey, did you forget?' message. It'll be the little nudge of motivation I will need to get it done!**

 **~ All my love ~**

 **Peach**

 **=)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

A ray of noon-time sunshine broke through heavy winter clouds and filtered to the bottom of a cavernous harbor. The light illuminated a pale-skinned siren for which the cove was named.

She flounced around the rocky ocean floor, using the new light to search for glittering treasures of the sea.

She perched herself on a column of rock, tickling a foundling crab with one dainty finger. Her cerulean hair billowed around her face and shifted with the underwater currents. The light from the surface glinted across her finned and scaly form, reflecting a colorful array of indigo and dark green. The incoming cold fronts sent chilled waters through her cove, leaching her skin until she was as pale as the full moon. They would migrate soon, far south where the water wasn't so cold.

Her eyes adjusted to the growing darkness as the sunlight disappeared. She didn't want to leave, the cove was her home.

There were no protective hideaways where they were going. No place for her to bask in sunlight away from human and merfolk eyes.

Maybe if master would move them somewhere not so inhabited. Migration meant a convergence of all the nearby colonies, which made living very crowded. The increase in their colony size made hiding difficult and venturing rules became unbearable. She would not see the sun for a long time.

"How long do you plan on keeping Juvia here for?"

As Levy's friend, Juvia really didn't mind staying with the little fish. Levy had an exquisite talent for finding odds and ends that they repurposed.

Levy crossed her arms indignantly, huffing at her blue haired twin, "I'm not keeping you here. _You're_ the one that followed me."

Her friend made an irritated sound, angrily flipping a wave of hair that drifted into her line of sight.

Levy went back to the coral patch at the floor, sifting through the coarse sand bed when a glimmer of pink caught her eye. She dusted the broken little fan shell, clicking it against its pair. Juvia entered her peripheral and Levy swam to her side, fastening the trinket in the swell of her friend's blue hair.

When fixated, Levy leaned back to admire her work.

"How does it look?" Juvia asked timidly, fingering her new accessory.

"Lovely," she answered with a smile. Juvia's tail fin shimmered with the same blue sheen as Levy's, but instead of green, Juvia had pink highlights that now matched her hair clip.

Levy giggled and flung herself into a nearby current that carried her around the harbor with very little effort.

Juvia took Levy's seat on the short pillar, watching on with mild irritation as she circled the area with carefree happiness.

Like a breeze on land, chilled waters permeated the warm cove and sent a shiver down Juvia's spine.

Master had set the date for migration to tomorrow, but most of their colony had already left, primarily families with small children.

Levy had nestled herself in an alcove too close to the surface for Juvia's comfort. The ebb and flow of the waves rocking the little fish into a nap.

Juvia swam to her side, resting her arms against the ledge, dark blue eyes meeting sad hazel ones.

"Why're you sad?" she asked, twirling a nearby strand of her hair. Levy had tied it back out of her face with a bright leaf of kelp.

The little fish avoided looking at her when she spoke, and then hesitantly, "I-I want...to stay. Here."

She ran her hand over the wall of rock behind her, rising out of the water.

Juvia wrinkled her nose in disapproval, "You'll freeze."

Levy snorted with derision, "Not forever. Just tonight. I want to stay here for the night."

Juvia sympathized with the girl. She understood her attachments, and she could find no real reason to not indulge her. Well, maybe.

"You shouldn't play so close to the surface, you know," Juvia's voice held a slight waver of worry that made Levy sit at attention.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why do you say that?"

Juvia leaned close to whisper in the little fish's ear, "The fishmonger might find you."

Levy let out a screech as Juvia playfully tickled her ribs. When Levy caught her breath, she pushed her friend away, snuggling deeper into the moss covered nest.

"No," she insisted and added, "he won't. I'll be fine."

They shared a light smile. The 'fishmonger' was a not so untrue tale weaved in order to frighten children into behaving.

"Do you want Juvia to come get you when we leave tomorrow?"

The little siren nodded with a sad smile. Their impending move was starting to settle in her chest like a heavy stone.

Juvia placed a chaste kiss to the girl's forehead, patting her hair before swimming away.

She ascended over the ships and wreckage that protected her friend's refuge like a morbid graveyard. The sharks alone were enough to deter the curious sirens, but being as small as Levy was, she persevered and came to revel in the playground that she saw it as.

Juvia steered clear of splintered masts and twisted metal bows, quickly traveling back home to the reefs where she would gather their things to migrate.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Minions!**

 **You know how much I love feedback.**

 **=)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

The studded fisherman received little rest from the night before. Not even the liquor could numb his mind long enough for sleep to take hold. So he left port a little earlier than planned. The waters were calm and would remain so until the sun came up. Not that he would see the sun. The clouds clung to the blue sky, extending the darkness well into mid-morning. A single break in those clouds caused him to look up, taking in the unexpected sunshine as a good omen.

Gajeel had the job of three men aboard his ship. He worked fast, tying off loose ends and controlling the crane from a mobile control panel. It has been awhile since he had sailed the vessel alone, what with his cousin out for the day.

The harbor was rough. The water constantly pushing the fishing boat towards the high cliffs. The land curved around the watery expanse, separating it from passing boaters.

Gajeel took another look at the map pinned against the wall, confirming the landmarks. He flicked the glass on the depth meter gauge, comparing it to his notes from last night.

So far, he was in the right place. He could tell the harbor used to be beautiful. It opened to the east, allowing a glorious view of the rising summer sun, but since the early winter had killed most of the cliffside fauna and reflected gray skies in the water, it was quite dreary. The shift in solar light cast the harbor in shadow.

He scanned the horizon as he pulled the vessel into position.

There were still no other fishing boats on the water. He gained an eerie sense of peace from his solitude. Gajeel's subconscious naturally restrained speaking out loud, but out here, he could curse at the sky and no one would be able to hear him.

He chuckled to himself, quite proud of his ingenuity. There was advantage to having a boat as little as his. He noted the pillars of rock and coral hidden beneath the water's surface. Any ship bigger than his would have been wrecked a long time ago.

 _Idiots_ , he thought.

It took him awhile to get the boat situated where it would not buckle under the force of the waves, but he felt confident in his location. Not too close to the cliffs and not too far out in the sea. If he were a fish, it would be the perfect place to hide from predators.

He viciously grinned. Of course, he was a predator too.

Elated that he didn't have to wait as long as his usual casting technique, Gajeel flipped the switch to reel in the net.

It struggled under a heavy weight and Gajeel adjusted the settings. The mechanisms clanked promisingly as the net rose out of the water.

A wild smile spread over fanged teeth as the net overflowed with slippery fish jumping over the sides. A triumphant laugh escaped him, and he hollered with joy.

He had never seen so many fish caught in one net before. Surely it was a record.

He toggled the switches and brought the load aboard, lowering it below deck into one of the containers. He shut the crane off, done testing his luck there. He would come back again tomorrow to try a new area of the same region. Besides, he had caught more fish than he would have in an entire week at the Common's. He could call it a good day.

He bolted the deck doors until the vessel shuddered. On edge, he looked up, standing carefully and eyeing the nearest cliffside. Taking a peek over the railing, he was confident he hadn't hit anything.

The boat dipped unnaturally between waves and shuddered again. The vessel inched closer to the cliffs and Gajeel grabbed the harpoon hanging by the steep ladder to the helm.

He stood at the starboard side of the bow, eyes trained on the water lapping below. He was certain something was screwing with him. If it was big enough to move his ship, it was big enough to mount on his wall.

* * *

Levy awoke to black water surrounding her. Curious, she looked to the surface to see an oval boat had cast a shadow over her and her sanctuary. Furthermore, the changing of the tide had brought with it colder water from the deep sea.

Something large broke the surface and the mermaid retreated against the wall, watching as the boat's anchor landed. It dragged along the sand, kicking up clouds of dust until it hooked around a load bearing column of rock.

The waves tossed the little vessel violently, which tightened the chain linking it to the anchor. It jerked against the pillar, threatening to topple Levy's sanctuary.

The little siren darted out to the offending contraption, yanking on the large hooks to dislodge it.

It was stuck fast, but she was smart. She waited for the ebb of the waves to slacken the chain, removing the heavy hooks from destroying her refuge. Now free, the anchor skittered across the sandy floor and latched itself to a different, but still secure outcropping.

Levy was wary of the ship, but something familiar distorted the waves, as though it were raining in only one section nearest the boat.

"A fisherman," she muttered.

She stared in horror as she realized that the blurred lines in the water was a net. He took...an _entire_ school of harmless fish.

She skirted around an encroaching cloud of ice water until she reached the chain linking the anchor to the ship. He was a danger; a danger to the cove. She followed the links up until she hovered just under the surface, watching a hulking figure move across the deck of the ship.

Levy had witnessed many human boats since she had been old enough to travel the waters. She knew if humans found an area they liked to fish in, they stayed. They stayed until the ocean died, like her old home, the Commons.

She remained perfectly still, hugging the broad links to her chest. She knew he couldn't see her; her blue hair lent the best of camouflage in the water. What was she going to do? Drown him? That seemed a little too far for Levy. Despite the fact he was human, he didn't choose to be that way.

She shook her head of her doubtful thoughts. _Drown him_. It was the only way for humans to learn.

She could clearly see the bipedal before her: shadowed face, two legs, two arms, and no fins to speak of. He was probably as ugly as the stories say, too. Flat teeth, flat hair, colorless; she almost felt sorry for him. That is, until he moved.

* * *

Gajeel stood stock still against the rise and fall of the bow. He lifted the pointed rod overhead, now seeing white flesh wrapped around the anchor chain.

He inhaled a steadying breath, loosing the harpoon with measured strength.

He watched on with glee as the animal writhed in growing tendrils of red blood. A successful catch.

* * *

Levy had no time to move; a bolt of lightning shot through the water. Piercing skin and scales, she screamed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Loyal Minions,**

 **Please enjoy this next update as the next one will be faraway (exams are right around the corner).**

 **A HUGE thank you to my Beta's kiss-me-khaos and fairytail-ships - y'all need to know that they put up with SO much of my crap, its not even funny. Also, another big thank you to those who have already reviewed and messaged me such glowing and thoughtful messages. Y'all are precious.**

 **As always, please review or message me with any thoughts, suggestions, opinions, etc.**

 **=)**

 **I love hearing from y'all.**

 **~All my Love~**

 **Peach**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Rivulets of blood floated before stinging eyes. She screamed from pain and from shock.

There, in her tail fin, was the unforgiving harpoon that jutted into her scales, drawing blood from the soon-to-be scar. If she even lived long enough to see it heal.

The claw jerked unmercifully as she was pulled tail-first out of the water. The pain was unimaginable. If she fought it, the hooks alone would handicap her and her fins would forever be ruined. So she curled in on herself, grabbing the barbs with pale fingers to keep her weight from further injuring herself.

Brisk air met damp skin and she vomited salt water from her lungs. Some part of her mind recognized that her body needed some form of oxygen if she was going to be out of the water.

She cast hateful eyes at the two-legged human. Hitting the deck hard, she barely heard the slew of profanity fall from his mouth. She cupped her hands around her wounds, pain making her paranoid that he would inflict more harm.

At least, he looked like a 'he'. She watched him through salty tears as he backed away and fumbled against the side of the ship. He may be male, but he looked like a demon. His eyes were as red as her blood, and his hair was by no means flat, but thick enough to require ties. He had an evil sneer on his pierced human face.

The rod in her tail was attached to a rope, a rope that he retrieved from under his feet. He wrapped it around his hand, and slowly sidestepped her.

Levy did not want to die. Although, she probably deserved to for considering the human's death in the first place. But he should not have come to her cove. Human's could not see their effect on things below the surface. _Ignorant savages._

She shrieked when the rod shifted with his movements and he seemed to recoil from her outburst.

He kicked open a door in the floor. Levy hissed when he yanked the rope, biting back the nausea that threatened expulsion. She had only moved a foot.

"Stop," she whimpered.

His eyes widened slightly, but regained their hardness when he crept closer and stepped over her.

Her body was rapidly becoming weaker from the loss of blood. She could no longer hold herself upright and she fell to her side with hands determined to shield her wounds.

Rubber boots squelched in the puddles surrounding her. He wasn't as ugly as she thought he'd be.

* * *

A shark. A giant squid. Maybe even a pod of sea turtles. They were plausible. They were _real_.

He stared in wide-eyed disbelief at the glittering creature on his deck. The human part of her was clearly trying not to cry.

 _Not human, it's not human_ , he thought to himself.

But she was lovely. He recalled every single mermaid myth he had ever heard in his life. 'Beautiful' was usually at the top of the list and now he could see why.

No, mermaids weren't real. How much did he have to drink last night?!

He picked up the rope from under his feet. There was no way she was going to get away from him, hallucination or not.

As he circled her, she cried out. The sound twisting in his gut as though he were actually hurting her. He harshly reminded himself that that wasn't possible.

The claw of the harpoon scraped across the deck, pulling up wooden splinters.

He needed a place to hold her.

 _Below deck?_ he thought, kicking the door open and peering into the dark. The containers were big enough, certainly, if not a little fishy.

"Stop."

Her quiet command was only vaguely acknowledged. She was hunched over herself in a defensive manner, but he had caught his fair share of sharks to know how to avoid losing fingers when removing hooks.

She fell to her side as he stood over her. He restrained her wrists with the length of rope from behind, paying close attention to the way her eyes watched him. She didn't thrash like he expected, but when he pushed her facedown and knelt on the thick muscles of her tail with all his weight, she slapped him with a broad fin.

"Oi shrimp!" he pinned her tail fin to the deck with his hand, "Ya want this out or not?!"

Certain he wasn't going to get slapped again, he griped the barbed end of the harpoon and pulled the long rod towards him. She shuddered, making quiet guttural noises.

It would have been more trouble to extract it from the other direction since the blades would catch on the flesh and cause unnecessary damage to the scales. He suspected it was still painful since he _was_ threading a metal rod through an open wound.

Once removed, he leaned back on his heels to refasten the knot on her wrists, which he quickly realized was a big mistake.

With his weight gone and the harpoon removed, she was practically free.

All the thrashing he feared from her earlier now rivaled his expectations with fiery vengeance.

Her broad tail fin slapped him hard with a wet smack, knocking him on his rear. When he recovered enough to pin her tail down, she had wriggled free of her rope bonds and grabbed his arm, sinking ivory teeth into the flesh at his wrist.

He cried out a slew of curses, wrenching away in agony and cradling the fresh wound.

She scrambled up the railing, the loss of blood making her desperate to return to the salty water until he caught her arm, twisting it behind her back.

He angrily shoved her to the wooden floors, facedown. He managed to bind her again, looping her tail fin into the ropes to avoid another incident. With her body now properly restrained, he rested.

He sat on her rear-end, using his weight to keep her down.

"Get off," she grunted, clearly uncomfortable and attempting to squirm out from under him.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for his wrist to stop bleeding.

"No."

She laid her head on the deck, turned towards his general direction.

"You're fat."

He couldn't tell if she was serious or if she was just trying to get a rise out of him, but he laughed either way.

"That's too bad, shrimp."

She grumbled to herself, something along the lines of, "I'm not a shrimp."

He laughed again, this time louder and with more mirth.

She watched him as he jostled around with guffaws bordering on maniacal.

 _What was so darn funny?_ She thought.

In response to her unspoken thoughts, he voiced the source of his amazement, looking up towards the sky as though he addressed the gods.

"I caught a mermaid."


	5. Chapter 5

**MINIONS!**

 **I managed an update for you. Don't worry! December will prove to be a productive month! We are almost there.**

 **Don't forget to PM me, Tumblr message me, or Review this chapter! I love ALL your feedback!**

 **=)**

 **Happy reading!**

 **~All my Love~**

 **Peach**

* * *

Chapter 5

Dusty particulates skirted across the porous and spongy coral Juvia had arranged as her temporary nest in the citadel. On her next inhale, the lightweight dirt tickled her nose and she sneezed awake, jerking upright in a half-sleep terror. She rubbed her eyes, stretching and arching her back.

Her tail fin fluttered over the edge of her makeshift bed and she slid off the ledge in its downward direction. Directly below her was a lava tube, currently active, and pumping delicious heat into her little space. She shivered at the intensity from the upward draft, but stayed there as long as she could. A quick glance up at the surface told her it was not yet morning. No wonder she had the vent all to herself.

She glanced around her room. The walls were gray and rocky, built up from dead corals thousands upon thousands of years ago. Her room was only one of hundreds. Planted into the walls were shelves, deep ledges like the one she had been perched on, and cleverly placed dens to accommodate whatever sea life needed refuge.

Juvia liked her room. To combat the depressing colors, she and Levy had decorated it in a most pleasing fashion with shiny baubles and colorful fabrics found in sunken ships. She knew nothing would be touched on her return from the tropics, but she couldn't help the apprehension she felt at leaving her belongings behind. She understood Levy's dislike for migration season. Though Levy was a bit more paranoid than she. No matter what Juvia said, Levy did not like living in the citadel. She commonly referred to it as the "house of the dead." She wasn't far off. Despite her dislike and Juvia's pleading, Levy kept two homes: her cove and the citadel.

Juvia ran her fingers through her hair, untangling the strands. Something caught her fingers, and she pulled the knot free.

Levy's clip lay broken again. She held it carefully, sad that she had forgotten about it. It really was a pretty little trinket. She always admired Levy for her talent; she had a way with fixing things.

She closed her fingers around the pink shells and left the safety of the bubbling heat vent to find her friend. It would be time to leave soon.

She swam out the narrow archway of her room, her scales giving off the faintest glint in the muted light. She turned down a corridor to her left, moving swiftly. The walls were tall, reaching up to the surface with spiny, pointed fingers. The view from inside the citadel looked very different than the view from the outside.

From here, there was no ceiling. Every hall was open to the sunlight and surface. It seemed as though the waves shimmered with the promise of open waters. But if one were at the top looking down, they would see nothing more than a spiny nest of spikes. Juvia recalled the ongoing joke they had made as children that they lived inside a giant sea urchin.

She slowed when she heard approaching voices. No doubt she would be scolded if she were caught streamlining in the halls. When she turned the corner, she spotted the white and black orca markings of their Master with his guard.

"Master José!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side. She brought herself low before him and kissed his outstretched palm before bowing her head onto his fingers.

"Juvia. You're still here," his voice was even, showing no emotion.

"Yes, Master," she straightened and eyed the disapproving guard at his side as she sought a quick excuse for her presence, "the cold seems to have snuck up on Juvia these past few days."

He hummed unhappily, "That is surprising to hear. You are smarter than that. Where is your friend? The little one?"

She wrung her hands at the disappointment in his tone. His mouth twitched downward when she did not answer right away.

"She's...out, Master. Juvia was just going to fetch her."

She glanced up to find a roiling anger beneath the calm exterior of their Leader.

"Then be quick. I wish to have an audience with you on your return."

Juvia nodded and kissed his palm once more in farewell, darting back down her original path.

Her heart raced as she exited the warm confines of the reef, flying over the sea floor towards the forbidden shipwrecks.

It was a frightening thing to be called before their master. She only hoped Levy hadn't gotten her in trouble. 

* * *

With anchors already hoisted and ropes tied off, Gajeel pulled into the far side of the docks, cutting the power to the propellers to let the momentum of the boat bring him in to his pier.

He stood at the helm with his cell phone still in hand – his injured hand. He had made a call to Rogue not twenty minutes ago asking for help with the load. Of course, Rogue wanted details on the catch, but Gajeel refused. He was certain this surprise would floor his dour counterpart.

Just as promised, the aforementioned relative waved his hand overhead. Gajeel did not return the gesture, simply locking his boat to be tied in at the side, tossing Rogue the ropes, and starting up the crane.

Rogue jumped on deck and peered into the boxes below. All were open and empty, save for the one the crane lifted out.

"One load?" his confusion was heard over the noise.

Gajeel answered, "Just one."

When they situated the cargo onto the rack of wheels from the pier, they unlatched the crane. Rogue shut down the equipment.

"So? How was it? What'd you get?"

Gajeel was leaning against the box with his hand propped against his hip, a smug grin spread across his face.

An obnoxious horn interrupted them as their pier-side neighbors pulled in with their morning's haul. With two cranes and enough crew members to crowd the dock, Gajeel motioned to Rogue for them to get going with their own cargo.

"Hey, Redfox! Load's lookin' a bit light."

A man with maroon hair and slant eyes leapt down from the high railing of his ship, landing hard on his feet.

"What's it to you, Cobra?"

They continued their pushing, but were forced to stop when that man jogged around to block their path.

"I have an offer for you and...," he slid his gaze to Rogue with clear disdain, "your crew."

"Not interested."

"You haven't even heard it yet."

Gajeel grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes in irritation, "Don't need to if it's coming from you."

"You know, the captain doesn't _always_ have to go down with the ship," he stepped out of their path and addressed them as they walked by, "I'll stop by later with the details."

Gajeel ignored him, grunting as they pushed the cart up a steep ramp.

He looked over his shoulder out of habit, checking on his old boat. It was in good shape and safely tied up. The keys settled in in pocket.

A large ripple in the smooth water caught his eye.

There, just below the surface, was a body. Pale and elongated, but a person none-the-less. It stared at him with lifeless, black eyes, sending a cold shiver of fear down his spine.

He blinked once and the figure was gone.


End file.
